The Thing About History Is
by Kila9Nishika
Summary: ...it tends to repeat itself.  Unrequited love in LARGE quantities, unrequited J/S, unrequited H/R/Hr, Sort-of-Somewhat-if-you-squint canon.  If Dumbles didn't die in HBP, and the 'Epilogue' was all some horrible nightmare.


**It Tends To Repeat Itself.**

**If I owned Harry Potter, there would be no "happily ever after" epilogue. There would be a "and then..." epilogue. You know. The type that insinuates the coming of another story.**

**The Thing About History Is, It Tends To Repeat Itself.

* * *

**

**1995**

Sirius sat on the couch in Grimmauld Place, his eyes distant. People were avoiding him again, and he was sure he'd heard Molly say something about him "sulking." Yeah. Right.

"Sirius?"

He looked up. Standing nervously in the doorway, twisting the hem of his overlarge shirt, was Harry. "Can I come in?"

Sirius waved his hand in that ridiculous way he'd always had about himself. "Sure." Although, despite the word that just spilled from his lips, Sirius wasn't too sure he wanted to talk to Harry right now.

Hesitantly, Harry seated himself on the edge of the couch. "Are you alright?"

Sirius hesitated. "How much have people actually told you about the Seventies at Hogwarts?"

Uncertain where exactly this was going, Harry shrugged. "I dunno. You were there, and Professor Lupin, and my parents…"

Sirius rubbed his face. "No that's… not exactly what I was talking about. Have you ever seen our yearbook?"

Harry blinked. "Hogwarts has yearbooks?" Then, his lips twitched. "No, don't answer that. Hermione would slap me for considering that it _didn't_."

Sirius barked out a laugh. "Gosh, you sound –" he stopped, a shadow crossing briefly over his face.

"Like my dad?" Harry guessed, although there was a faint note of irritation at always being compared to his father.

Sirius shook his head. "No," he mumbled. "Y'sound just like I did, fifth year. Moony said something, 'n I said, 'there's a yearbook?' in that same tone…" he drifted off, his eyes distant. Shaking his head, he returned to his original topic. "No, but what I meant was, on the page for James, there was this picture. It was a picture of the Yule Ball, in our fifth year. The only photograph that had all of us Marauders _and_ Lily – although I think she was really in the picture by accident."

Harry tilted his head to the side, and Sirius was suddenly struck by how _unlike_ James _or_ Lily Harry really was. Harry was a mix of Dumbledore and McGonagall and Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley and the Weasley twins and Remus Lupin and –

_And me,_ Sirius realized. _He's something all himself, but there really isn't a whole lot of Harry that is really like James or Lily._

"Sirius?"

Sirius jerked, and realized that he had been drifting away again. "I… it's just intriguing, how life is. She avoided James for so long – though she really only screamed at him once or twice. But she studiously avoided him, and really, if I'd had to choose, I'd have thought she'd have married Moony. After all, they were both prefects, both smart, both not _quite_ as large of rule-breakers as James and I were…"

Harry looked confused. "What d'you mean? She avoided him? My mum didn't _hate_ my dad, did she?"

Sirius barked out a laugh, faintly flavored with bitterness. "No, I think she always liked him to a certain extent. But she was childhood-friends with Sni-Snape, and James hated Snape – prob'ly for that reason. So they clashed because of that, really. But otherwise, I think Lily saw James as immature, but cute."

"Oh."

There was a long silence then, punctuated by clunking somewhere out in the hallway. Sirius took a deep breath, struggling to put something into words.

"I fell in love, once," he said, intent on Harry hearing _something _in his words. Harry nodded slowly.

"Yeah?"

Sirius took another steadying breath. "I fell in love, once… it was horrible, and wonderful, all at the same time. But – even though I was a Gryffindor – I never told them. I was… terrified, of what they'd say to me. Of what they'd think. So they never knew. And then they – died."

Harry looked conflicted, as if he wasn't sure exactly what he was supposed to say. "Erm…"

Sirius shook his head. "It's nothing, Harry. Just… If you fall in love, don't do what I did."

Harry shrugged. "Alright."

* * *

**1996**

_It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall: his body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backwards through the ragged veil hanging from the arch._

_Harry saw the look of mingled fear and surprise on his godfather's wasted, once-handsome face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind, then fell back into place._

_Harry heard Bellatrix Lestrange's triumphant scream, but knew it meant nothing - Sirius had only just fallen through the archway, he would reappear from the other side any second…_

_But Sirius did not reappear._

_"SIRIUS!" Harry yelled. "SIRIUS!"_

_He had reached the floor, his breath coming in searing gasps. Sirius must be just behind the curtain, he, Harry, would pull him back out…_

_But as he reached the ground and sprinted towards the dais, Lupin grabbed Harry around the chest, holding him back._

_"There's nothing you can do, Harry -"_

_"Get him, save him, he's only just gone through!"_

_"- it's too late, Harry."_

_"We can still reach him -" Harry struggled hard and viciously, but Lupin would not let go…_

_"There's nothing you can do, Harry… nothing… he's gone." __(OotP, Chptr 35)

* * *

_

**1999**

So many dreams… lost. Blinking back tears, a dark-haired man leaned against a stone wall, paralleling the actions of his godfather eighteen years before.

If only he hadn't trusted her… and now they were dead, and he was off to prison, with no way to save his godson, or inform his only remaining friends what was going on.

* * *

**2010**

He wasn't sure of the year. Half the time, he was certain that it was still June 30th, 1998, the second-worst day of his life. Other days, he was certain that it was October 31st, 1999 – the worst day of his life.

But when the Minister of Magic walked through the halls of Azkaban, he felt a wave of irony, and asked for the copy of The Daily Prophet tucked under the man's arm.

Emblazoned across the front page were the words _**BOY-WHO-LIVED Completes First Year At Hogwarts**_. And there was a photo.

The wizarding world had moving photographs in _color_, now, even in the newspapers, and the three children smiling out of the page made his heart leap.

A small boy with cheekbones that could only belong to the Black family, his pale blonde hair falling in his face. His tie was blue and copper.

A puckish girl with blue hair and amber eyes, her mischievous grin lighting up her entire face. Her tie was also blue and copper.

A boy with wild hair, red as red can be, utterly untamable, his eyes light brown and lonely, stared out from the center of the picture. His tie was red and gold.

The redhead had a white owl on his shoulder. The girl had a toad perched on her head. The blond boy had a cat – a vibrantly orange cat with a jagged scar down her face.

Green eyes flared, and the Azkaban cell was abruptly empty of a human inmate. Gritting its teeth against a yowl, a scrawny black cat forced its way out of the cell, causing enormous bleeding wounds as it did so.

**2011**

_"__**Scorp**__ — are you okay?"_

_"Where's the __**cat**__?"_

_"Not a __**cat**__," __**Scorpius**__ moaned. His teeth were gritted with pain. "__**Sirius**__, it's a trap —"_

_"What —"_

_"He's the __**cat**__… he's an Animagus."_

_**Scorpius**__ was staring over __**Sirius**__' shoulder. __**Sirius**__ wheeled around. With a snap, the man in the shadows closed the door behind them._

_A mass of filthy, matted hair hung to his __**shoulder**__s. If __**green **__eyes hadn't been shining out of the deep, dark sockets, he might have been a corpse. The waxy skin was stretched so tightly over the bones of his face, it looked like a skull. __**A strangely-shaped scar stood out on his forehead**__. It was __**Harry Potter**__._

_"Expelliarmus!" he __**whispered, flicking his hand**__ at them._

_**Sirius'**__ and __**Andri's**__ wands shot out of their hands, high in the air, and __**Potter**__ caught them. Then he took a step closer. His eyes were fixed on __**Sirius**__._

_"I thought you'd come and help your friend," he said hoarsely._

_His voice sounded as though he had long since lost the habit of using it. "Your father would have done the same for me. __**For that matter, I would have done the same thing for him**__…"_

_The taunt about his father rang in __**Sirius'**__ ears as though __**Potter**__ had bellowed it. A boiling hate erupted in __**Sirius'**__ chest, leaving no place for fear. For the first time in his life, he wanted his wand back in his hand, not to defend himself, but to attack… to kill._

_Without knowing what he was doing, he started forward, but there was a sudden movement on either side of him and two pairs of hands grabbed him and held him back…"No, __**Sirius**__!" __**Andri**__ gasped in a petrified whisper; __**Scorpius**__, however, spoke to __**Potter**__._

_"If you want to kill __**Sirius**__, you'll have to kill us too!" he said fiercely, though the effort of standing upright was draining him of still more color, and he swayed slightly as he spoke. _

_**A sad smile flickered faintly over Potter's face.**_

_"Lie down," he said quietly to __**Scorpius**__. "You will damage that leg even more."_

_"Did you hear me?" __**Scorpius**__ said weakly, though he was clinging painfully to __**Sirius**__ to stay upright. "You'll have to kill all three of us!"_

_"There'll be only one murder here tonight," said __**Potter**__, __**his eyes intense**__._

_"Why's that?" __**Sirius**__ spat, trying to wrench himself free of __**Scorpius**__, and __**Andromeda**__. "Didn't care last time, did you? Didn't mind slaughtering all those __**children**__ to get at __**Aunt Ginny**__… What's the matter, gone soft in Azkaban?"_

_"__**Sirius**__!" __**Andri**__ whimpered. "Be quiet!"_

_"HE KILLED MY MUM AND DAD!" __**Sirius**__ roared, and with a huge effort he broke free of __**Andri**__'s and __**Scorpius**__' restraint and lunged forward —_

_He had forgotten about magic — he had forgotten that he was short and skinny and __**twelve**__, whereas __**Potter**__ was a full-grown man – __**if rather short **__– all __**Sirius**__ knew was that he wanted to hurt __**Potter**__ as badly as he could and that he didn't care how much he got hurt in return —_

_Perhaps it was the shock of __**Sirius**__ doing something so stupid, but __**Potter**__ didn't raise the wands in time — one of __**Sirius'**__ hands fastened over his wasted wrist, forcing the wand tips away; the knuckles of __**Sirius'**__ other hand collided with the side of __**Potter**__'s head and they fell, backward, into the wall —_

_**Andri**__ was screaming; __**Scorpius**__ was yelling; there was a blinding flash as the wands in __**Potter**__'s hand __**clattered to the floor**__;__**Sirius**__ felt the shrunken arm under his fingers twisting madly, but he clung on, his other hand punching every part of __**Potter**__ it could find._

_**An explosion of light made Sirius' head hurt, as all three of them were flung off of Potter, his hands glowing faintly. Potter looked exhausted, and Sirius remembered with shock – Potter could do wandless magic!**_

_**From the floor, he**__ saw his own wand rolling across the floor; he threw himself toward it but_

_"Argh!"_

_**Perseus**__ had joined the fray; __**his wings flapping furiously as his claws**__ had sunk themselves deep into __**Sirius'**__ arm; __**hurt by the betrayal of his own owl, Sirius **__threw him off, but __**Perseus**__ now darted toward __**Sirius'**__ wand —_

_"NO YOU DON'T!" roared **Sirius**, and he aimed a __**half-hearted punch**__ at __**Perseus**__ that made the **owl **__**flap hurriedly out of the way**__; __**Sirius**__ snatched up his wand and turned —_

_"Get out of the way!" he shouted at __**Scorpius and Andromeda**__._

_They didn't need telling twice. __**Andromeda**__, gasping for breath, her lip bleeding, scrambled aside, snatching up her and __**Scorpius**__' wands. __**Scorpius**__ crawled to the four-poster and collapsed onto it, panting, his white face now tinged with green, both hands clutching his broken leg._

_**Potter **__was sprawled at the bottom of the wall. His thin chest rose and fell rapidly as he watched __**Sirius**__ walking slowly nearer, his wand pointing straight at __**Potter**__'s heart._

_"Going to kill me, __**Sirius**__?" he whispered._

_**Sirius**__ stopped right above him, his wand still pointing at __**Potter**__'s chest, looking down at him. A livid bruise was rising around __**Potter**__'s __**right**__ eye and his __**lip**__ was bleeding._

_"You killed my parents," said __**Sirius**__, his voice shaking slightly, but his wand hand quite steady._

_**A tear streaked down Potter's face, startling Sirius. His eyes looked absolutely tortured.**_

_"I don't deny it," he said very quietly. "But if you knew the whole story."_

_"The whole story?" __**Sirius**__ repeated, a furious pounding in his ears. "You __**handed **__them __**over **__to __**Le Stranges**__. That's all I need to know."_

_"You've got to listen to me," __**Potter**__ said, and there was a note of urgency in his voice now. "You'll regret it if you don't… You don't understand…"_

_"I understand a lot better than you think," said __**Sirius**__, and his voice shook more than ever. "You never heard her, did you? My mum… trying to stop __**Snape**__**from**__ killing me… and you did that… you did it…"_

_Before either of them could say another word, something __**white **__streaked past __**Sirius**__; __**Perseus**__ leapt onto __**Potter**__'s chest and settled himself there, right over __**Potter**__'s heart. __**Potter**__ blinked and looked at the owl._

_"__**Silly Pers'**__," he murmured, trying to push __**Perseus**__ off him. __**Sirius gaped – how did he know Perseus' name?**_

_But __**Perseus**__ sank his claws into __**Potter**__'s robes and wouldn't shift. He turned his __**beautiful white**__ face to __**Sirius**__ and looked up at him with those great __**golden**__ eyes. To his right, __**Andri**__ gave a dry sob__**, while Scorpius made a choking sound.**_

_**Sirius**__ stared down at __**Potter**__ and __**Perseus**__, __**tears coming to his eyes**__. __**W**__hat if he had to kill __**Perseus**__ too? __**He**__ was in league with __**Potter**__… If __**he**__ was prepared to die, trying to protect __**Potter**__… __**No. He wouldn't think like that. Surely Perseus was smart enough to fly away?**_

_**Sirius**__ raised the wand. Now was the moment to do it. Now was the moment to avenge his mother and father. He was going to kill __**Potter**__. He had to kill __**Potter**__. This was his chance…_

_The seconds lengthened. And still __**Sirius**__ stood frozen there, wand poised, __**Potter**__ staring up at him, __**Perseus**__ on his chest. __**Scorpius'**__ ragged breathing came from near the bed; __**Andri**__ was quite silent._

_And then came a new sound —_

_Muffled footsteps were echoing up through the floor — someone was moving downstairs._

_"WE'RE UP HERE!" __**Andri**__ screamed suddenly. "WE'RE UP HERE — __**HARRY POTTER**__ — QUICK!"_

_**Potter**__ made a startled movement that almost dislodged __**Perseus**__; __**Sirius**__ gripped his wand convulsively — Do it now! said a voice in his head — but the footsteps were thundering up the stairs and __**Sirius**__ still hadn't done it._

_The door of the room burst open in a shower of red sparks and __**Sirius**__ wheeled around as Professor __**Longbottom**__ came hurtling into the room, his face bloodless, his wand raised and ready. His eyes flickered over __**Scorpius**__, lying on the floor, over __**Andromeda**__, cowering next to the door, to __**Sirius**__, standing there with his wand covering __**Potter**__, and then to __**Potter**__ himself, crumpled and bleeding at __**Sirius'**__ feet._

_"Expelliarmus!" __**Longbottom**__ shouted._

_**Sirius'**__ wand flew once more out of his hand; so did the two __**Andromeda**__ was holding. __**Longbottom**__ caught them all deftly, then moved into the room, staring at __**Potter**__, who still had __**Perseus**__ lying protectively across his chest._

_**Sirius**__ stood there, feeling suddenly empty. He hadn't done it. His nerve had failed him. __**Potter**__ was going to be handed back to the Dementors._

_Then __**Longbottom**__ spoke, in a very tense voice._

_"Where is __**she**__, __**Harry**__?"_

_**Sirius**__ looked quickly at __**Longbottom**__. He didn't understand what __**Longbottom**__ meant. Who was __**Longbottom**__ talking about? He turned to look at __**Potter**__ again._

_**Potter**__'s face was quite expressionless. For a few seconds, he didn't move at all. Then, very slowly, he raised his empty hand and pointed straight at __**Scorpius**__. Mystified, __**Sirius**__ glanced around at __**Scorpius**__, who __**was looking from Potter to Longbottom, and then to the cat that was curled in his lap. Could it be…?**_

_"But then…" __**Longbottom**__ muttered, staring at __**Potter**__ so intently it seemed he was trying to read his mind, "… why hasn't __**she**__ shown __**herself**__ before now? Unless" — __**Longbottom**__'s eyes suddenly widened, as though he was seeing something beyond __**Potter**__, something none of the rest could see, "— unless __**she**__ was the one… unless you switched… without telling me?"_

_Very slowly, his __**blazing green **__gaze never leaving __**Longbottom**__'s face, __**Potter **__nodded. __**"There wasn't time."**_

_"Professor," __**Sirius**__ interrupted loudly, "what's going on —?"_

_But he never finished the question, because what he saw made his voice die in his throat. __**Longbottom**__ was lowering his wand, gazing fixed at __**Potter**__. The Professor walked to __**Potter**__'s side, seized his hand, pulled him to his feet so that __**Perseus flapped wildly**__, and embraced __**Potter**__._

"_**Should've **__**realized**__**," he mumbled, pulling back slightly.**_

_**Sirius**__ felt as though the bottom had dropped out of his stomach._

_"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" __**Andri**__ screamed._

_**Longbottom**__ let go of __**Potter**__ and turned to her. She had raised herself off the floor and was pointing at __**Longbottom**__, wild-eyed. __**Her hair was rapidly cycling repeatedly through the rainbow. **__"You — you —"_

_"__**Andromeda**__ —"_

_"– you and him!"_

_"__**Andromeda**__, calm down —"_

_"I didn't tell anyone!" __**Andri**__ shrieked. "I've been covering up for you —"_

_"__**Andromeda**__, listen to me, please" __**Longbottom**__ shouted. "I can explain —"_

_**Sirius**__ could feel himself shaking, not with fear, but with a fresh wave of fury._

_"I trusted you," he shouted at __**Longbottom**__, his voice wavering, out of control, "and all the time you've been his friend!"_

_"You're wrong," said __**Longbottom**__. "I haven't been __**Harry**__'s friend, but I am now — Let me explain…"_

_"NO!" __**Andri**__ screamed. "__**Sirius**__, don't trust him, he's been helping **Potter** get into the castle, he wants you dead too — he's __**an**__** Isgrlaud**__!"_

_There was a ringing silence. Everyone's eyes were now on __**Longbottom**__, who looked remarkably calm, though rather pale._

_"Not __**quite, Andromeda**__," he said. "Only one out of three, I'm afraid. I have not been helping __**Harry**__ get into the castle and I certainly don't want __**Sirius**__ dead." An odd shiver passed over his face. "But I won't deny that I am __**an **__**Isgrlaud**__."_

_**Scorpius**__ made a valiant effort to get up again but fell back with a whimper of pain. __**Longbottom**__ made toward him, looking concerned, but __**Scorpius flinched away.**_

_**Longbottom**__ stopped dead. Then, with an obvious effort, he turned to __**Andri**__ and said, "How long have you known?"_

_"Ages," __**Andri**__ whispered. "Since I did Professor __**Finnegan**__'s essay…"_

_"He'll be delighted," said __**Longbottom**__ coolly. "He assigned that essay hoping someone would realize what my symptoms meant… Did you check the lunar chart and realize that I was always ill at the __**dark of**__ moon? Or did you realize that the Boggart changed into __**blood**__ when it saw me?"_

_"Both," __**Andri**__ said quietly._

_**Longbottom**__ forced a laugh._

_"You're the cleverest witch of your age I've ever met, __**Andromeda, aside from Sirius' mother**__."_

_"I'm not," __**Andri**__ whispered. "If I'd been a bit cleverer, I'd have told everyone what you are!"_

_"But they already know," said __**Longbottom**__. "At least, the staff do."_

_"__**McGonagall**__ hired you when __**she**__ knew you were __**an Isgrlaud**__," __**Scorpius**__ gasped. "Is __**she **__**insane**__?"_

_"Some of the staff thought so," said __**Longbottom**__. "__**She**__ had to work very hard to convince certain teachers that I'm trustworthy —"_

_"AND __**SHE**__ WAS WRONG!" __**Sirius**__ yelled. "YOU'VE BEEN HELPING HIM ALL THE TIME!"_

_He was pointing at __**Potter**__, who suddenly crossed to the four-poster bed and sank onto it, his face hidden in one shaking hand. __**Perseus dropped to his shoulder and began preening his wild hair**__. __**Scorpius**__ edged away from both of them, dragging his leg._

_"I have not been helping __**Harry**__," said __**Longbottom**__. "If you'll give me a chance, I'll explain. Look —"_

_He separated __**Sirius'**__, __**Scorpius'**__ and __**Andri's**__ wands and threw each back to its owner; __**Sirius**__ caught his, stunned._

_"There," said __**Longbottom**__, sticking his own wand back into his belt "You're armed, we're not. Now will you listen?"_

_**Sirius**__ didn't know what to think. Was it a trick?_

_"If you haven't been helping him," he said, with a furious glance at __**Potter**__, "how did you know he was here?"_

_"The map," said __**Longbottom**__. "The Marauder's Map. I was in my office examining it —"_

_"You know how to work it?" __**Sirius**__ said suspiciously._

_"Of course I know how to work it," said __**Longbottom**__, waving his hand impatiently. "__**It belonged to Harry in the first place – he taught all of us how to use it. Me, Luna, your parents… and Ginny Weasley.**__"_

"_**Aunt Ginny –" **_

_"The important thing is, I was watching it carefully this evening, because I had an idea that you, __**Scorpius**__, and __**Andromeda**__ might try and sneak out of the castle to visit Hagrid before __**he was taken away**__. And I was right, wasn't I?"_

_He had started to pace up and down, looking at them. Little patches of dust rose at his feet._

_"You might have been wearing __**Harry**__'s old cloak, __**Sirius**__—"_

_"How d'you know about the cloak? __**Wait… it belonged to **__**him**__**?**__"_

_"__**Of course, he gave it to your parents when they went into hiding**__…" said __**Longbottom**__, waving an impatient hand again. _

_"The point is, even if you're wearing an Invisibility Cloak, you still show up on the Marauder's Map. I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's hut. Twenty minutes later, you left Hagrid, and set off back toward the castle. But you were now accompanied by somebody else."_

_"What?" said __**Sirius**__. "No, we weren't!"_

_"I couldn't believe my eyes," said __**Longbottom**__, still pacing, and ignoring Harry's interruption. "__**If I hadn't known better, **__I__** would have**__ thought the map __**was**__ malfunctioning. How could __**she**__ be with you? __**She'd been dead for years.**__"_

_"No one was with us!" said __**Sirius**__._

_"And then I saw another dot, moving fast toward you, labeled __**Harry Potter**__… I saw him collide with you; I watched as he pulled two of you into the Whomping Willow —"_

_"One of us!" __**Scorpius**__ said, __**but a frown creased his brow**__._

_"No, __**Scorpius,**__" said __**Longbottom**__. "Two of you."_

_He had stopped his pacing, his eyes moving over __**Scorpius**__._

_"Do you think I could have a look at the __**cat**__?" he said evenly._

_"What?" said __**Scorpius**__. "What's __**Oriana**__ got to do with it?"_

_"Everything," said __**Longbottom**__. "Could I see __**her**__, please?"_

_**Scorpius didn't hesitate, dumping Oriana into Longbottom's arms, while keeping ahold of her **__tail to stop __**her from**__ escaping. __**Perseus**__** flapped his wings loudly and screeched with anger**__._

_**Longbottom**__ seemed to be holding his breath as he gazed intently at __**Oriana, holding her up to his face. The cat was writhing, attempting as best she could to scratch or hurt Professor Longbottom**__._

_"What's __**Scorpius' cat**__ got to do with anything?" __**Andri frowned**_

_"That's not a __**cat**__," croaked __**Harry Potter**__ suddenly._

_"What d'you mean — of course __**she's a cat **__ —" __**Andri began.**_

_**Scorpius gasped, and clenched his fists. "No… no way."**_

_"No, __**she's**__ not," said __**Longbottom**__ quietly. "__**She's a witch**__."_

_"An Animagus," said __**Potter**__, "by the name of __**Ginevra Weasley**__." _

"Impossible!" Andri shouted, but Scorpius had a look of horror on his face.

"No, no, Andri, it makes sense!"

Andri and Sirius turned to their injured friend. "How, Scorp?" Sirius asked.

Scorpius was staring with angry eyes at his once-beloved pet. "Just like in the first war, how Sirius Black was innocent, and Pettigrew posed as your dad's pet, Sirius. Only… how?"

Longbottom seemed to sag, looking pained. "Yes… that is my fault."

Potter jerked, looking furious. "Don't you _dare_ blame yourself, Neville! Snivellous just holds a hell of a grudge, that's not _your_ fault."

Longbottom shook his head. "But this never would have happened if we – the Ministry Six – hadn't decided to become Animagi. Well, you five did, to help me."

At this point, Oriana began fighting even harder. Rolling his eyes, Longbottom pulled his wand and mumbled. Oriana went stiff as a board – Petrificus Totalus.

"You see, an Isgrlaud will only fall into a frenzy when provoked, or, if not provoked, once a month at the dark of moon. But it will only _kill_ humans. It is happy to injure anything, but it will only cause mortal wounds to humans."

He paused, smiling sadly at Sirius. "Your parents and Luna were the first to accomplish it. Your mum was an owl – too small to battle an Isgrlaud – while your dad was a lion. Luna was a hare."

Longbottom smiled faintly. "Harry hadn't accomplished it yet, but I think – a jaguar, right?"

Potter nodded.

Longbottom rubbed the back of his neck. "With them to accompany me and keep me in check, _well, highly exciting possibilities were open to us now that we could all transform. Soon we were leaving the Shrieking Shack and roaming the school grounds and the village by night. __**It was dangerous – **__there were near misses, many of them. _

"But we were careful, and Harry watched us by broom with the Marauders' Map in hand. As many know, Harry was strong enough in magic to hold me in check long enough for Ron to turn me around, and we were all extremely conscientious. I hadn't thought that Harry would complete the Animagus transformation while in Azkaban, nor, frankly, did I want to think about him there at all. In my eyes, Harry was dead. Until now."

Andri scowled. "But then, why does Professor Finnegan hate you so much?"

Longbottom winced. "Because I nearly went into a frenzy on him."

Potter was staring determinedly at the floor, and Longbottom looked as tense as a high wire. Finally, after a moment of silence, Scorpius hesitantly asked "Why?"

Longbottom sighed. "He took Hermione – your mother, Sirius – out on a date to Hogsmeade, in our second seventh year. But, well, he did something – he, he,"

Potter stood sharply. "Don't be nice, Neville," he snapped harshly. "He raped her."

Sirius felt bile well up in his throat at the idea of Finnegan raping his mother. Scorpius looked ill, and Andri's hair had gone limp and brown. Finally, he croaked, "What then?"

Longbottom looked cornered. Potter scowled. "Neville found him on her, and almost killed him. The Ministry had a field day, and the only reason Nev finished out school was because it was all covered up and Finnegan stayed at school as well. Then, Dumbledore, who was still Headmaster, offered a job to Finnegan. It's a twenty-year contract, McGonagall can't get rid of him till 2018."

"So," Andri said, her hair growing a little less limp, "He hates you because you caught him in the act?"

_"That's right," sneered a cold voice from the wall behind __**Longbottom**__._

_**Seamus Finnegan**__ was pulling off the Invisibility Cloak, his wand pointing directly at __**Longbottom**__.

* * *

_

**2013**

Harry sat on the couch in Grimmauld Place, his eyes distant. People were avoiding him again, and he was sure he'd heard Cho say something about him "sulking." Yeah. Right.

"H-Harry?"

Harry looked up, and swallowed a gasp of shock, feeling déjà vu curl down his spine. Standing in the doorway, twisting his hands in the pockets of his robes, was Sirius Harrison Weasley.

"Come here," he said, his memory drifting back to his conversation with Sirius Black all those years ago.

Sirius settled himself on the edge of the couch. "Is something wrong, Harry?"

Harry sighed. He now had a good idea of what had made Sirius feel so morose in that last year of his life. As the Order scampered around Grimmauld Place, he saw something in the "Golden Trio" that he was almost certain Sirius had seen in the previous "Golden Trio."

Andromeda Lupin – the not just the brains, as Hermione had been, but a good bit more rebellious as well. Her older brother, Theodore, was going into his last year at Hogwarts this year.

Scorpius Malfoy – cleverer than Ron had ever been, but still the Padfoot to Sirius' Prongs. Pale as his father, he'd inherited his mother's gentle nature. Sooner or later, though, Harry had the feeling that the boy would renounce his father.

Sirius Harrison Weasley – son of Ron and Hermione, his godson. This generation's "Chosen One." Messy red hair, brown eyes, and an intense personality marked him as the son of Harry's two best friends.

"Harry?"

Harry jerked, he hadn't realized how lost in thought he'd been. "Sirius, I was once in love." He couldn't believe what he was going to say – almost the same thing as Sirius, so long ago.

"I fell in love, but I was too scared – and too loyal – to speak up. And then –" Harry paused. He knew now, what had gone into the pause before Sirius (the first) had said 'they died.' But did he dare…

"And then they got married."

Sirius looked startled. "What?"

Harry rubbed at his face. "They got married. To each other. They had a wonderful child. And then they died."

Sirius was gaping, but Harry didn't dare stop. "Just… If you fall in love, don't do what I did."

Sirius shrugged. "Alright."

* * *

**2014**

_It seemed to take __**Harry**__ an age to fall: his body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backwards __**into the pool**__._

_**Sirius**__ saw the look of mingled surprise__** and sadness**__ on his godfather's wasted, once-handsome face as he fell __**into the shimmering, silvery pool**__._

_**Sirius**__ heard Bellatrix Lestrange's triumphant scream, but knew it meant nothing - __**Harry**__ had only just fallen __**into the pool**__, he would __**jump back out**__ any second…_

_But __**Harry**__ did not reappear._

_"__**HARRY**__!" __**Sirius**__ yelled. "__**HARRY**__!"_

_He had reached the floor, his breath coming in searing gasps. __**Harry**__ must be just __**below the surface**__, he, __**Sirius**__, would pull him back out…_

_But as he reached the ground and sprinted towards the dais, __**Longbottom**__ grabbed __**Sirius**__ around the chest, holding him back._

_"There's nothing you can do, __**Sirius**__ -"_

_"Get him, save him, he's only just gone through!"_

_"- it's too late, __**Sirius**__."_

_"We can still reach him -" __**Sirius**__ struggled hard and viciously, but __**Longbottom**__ would not let go…_

_"There's nothing you can do, __**Sirius**__… nothing… he's gone." __(OotP, Chptr 35)

* * *

_

**2018**

Sirius Weasley sat by the edge of a faintly shimmering pool of magical energy, smiling sadly.

"Hi, Harry," he whispered. "Can you hear me? The war's over. Finally. Professor Longbottom finally gave in and married Luna Lovegood, and they named their first kids Ron and Hermione. McGonagall's gone, and Teddy's off traveling, but I think that he's got a crush on Cousin Lillian. It'd be cool if they got married."

He paused, and turned, smiling faintly as a petite blonde man was dragged towards him by a woman with black and green hair.

"As for your advice – I took it."

"Andri!" Scorpius leaned against the wall erected to keep people from falling into the pool. "Did we have to run?"

Andri laughed, sending flickers of turquoise-blue through her striped hair. "Baby. And _I'm_ the one who's pregnant!"

Sirius grinned, and turned around. "C'mon, Andri, you know that Scorp has no stamina on the ground."

Scorpius raised his eyebrows. "Oh, _really_." Taking two swift steps forward, he tangled his hands in Sirius' hair, and gave him a passionate kiss.

After a moment, Andri conjured a book and whacked them over the heads.

"Oi, idiots, we still have to go the St. Mungo's today."

Sirius pulled away for a moment. "Wha?"

Andri rolled her eyes. "I haven't the least idea which of you planted this bugger in my stomach, and I'll be damned if I don't know who to yell at in the birthing rooms. Come _on_, idiots."

"Language, Andri," Scorpius scolded halfheartedly. There was a faint smile on his face, though.

The three of them joined hands, and walked away from the pool.

* * *

All italicized blocks are taken from the books verbatim. The bold words inside the italicized blocks are my own changes to the canon wording. If you squint and ignore Dumble's death in HBP and ignore the Epilogue in DH, then this is _**almost**_ canon.

Cheers! This is my first Sirius/James, even if unrequited. This is also my first completed threesome fic.

A definition for Isgrlaud - infected by a potion-caused disease that uses the blood of Red Caps, an Isgrlaud finds themself hungering for bloodshed and pain. At the dark of moon, if one has not gone into a frenzy, they will find the nearest human and shed its blood and cause pain until the human dies. The more control one has, the less of a problem it is - Neville Longbottom, one of the first Isgrlaud, spills his own blood, and causes himself pain, rather that feed on other people. They also gain a talent for evoking pain in other people, and can be thrown into a frenzy by a Cruciatus Curse or Sectumsempra. From the Welsh for Scarlet (ysgarlad)


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